More over-50s are starting new chapters of their life, with divorce rates among this group on the rise. These winds of change reflect a shift in social stigma around divorce for Boomers, and may also be borne from how COVID-19 has driven people to prioritize self-care and renewal.

The lockdown measures introduced to reduce the spread of COVID-19 have kept people confined with certain loved ones for months while preventing them from seeing others. Canvas8 spoke to 17 Britons and Americans to find out how this period of self-isolation has impacted their relationships.

With stress having intensified in lockdown, a number of married couples are looking into untying the knot. Internet searches for ‘divorce’ have increased, indicating that even as some people have seen the home as a sanctuary during the pandemic, for others, it’s forced them to reassess their lives.

How has the pandemic affected intimacy? Why are people going off open-plan design? And will remote-working trigger an urban exodus? In this part of the 2021 Expert Outlook, we speak to three experts about the forces set to shape our homes and relationships in the year ahead.